Two-temperature walk-in cooler



Oct. 17, 1 950 J. J. BOOTH TWO-TEMPERATURE WALK-IN COOLER Filed Aug. 25, 1947 Jack J. Boo/h INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 17, 1950 UNITED s'rArns par 2,526,063 TWO-TEMPERATURE wALn-m ooorlnn lack .ll. Booth, Dallas, Tern, assignor to Zero Plate Company, Dallas, Tex;

v Application August 25, 1947, Serial No. 770,352

installing a metal plate in the otherwise insulated wall separating the chambers and by directing a stream of air intermittently against the plate to stimulate conduction from the coldest chamber to the companion chamber when the temperature of the latter tends to rise.

Another object of the invention is to provide means by which to conduct frigidity from one insulated chamber to another without exchange of air and to control the temperature of each within predetermined limits.

With the foregoing objects in view, the invention has further reference to certain features of accomplishment which will become apparent as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of a two-temperature refrigerator embodying the present invention.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of an inner wall in vertical section, showing the conduction plate and fan for dissipating moisture condensate on the plate, and

Figure 3 is a further fragmentary view of the refrigerator cabinet in section showing a front elevational view of the plate.

Continuing with a more detailed description of the drawing, reference numeral i!) denotes a fragmentary perspective view of a refrigerator of the walk-in type with the top removed. The walls I l of the box or cabinet as well as the top l2 (Figs.

2 and 3) are insulated against external tempera ture influences and the interior of the cabinet is divided into two separate compartments A and B by insulated walls I3. Temperature in the compartment A is maintained at 0 F. while the tem perature in compartment B is kept at approximately 35 F. The manner in which these temperatures are established and maintained will be presently explained. Individual doors i l and it are provided for the chambers A and B respectively.

3 Claims.

2 Mounted on the inside of an outer wall H of the cabinet I0, within the compartment or chamber A'isa housing [6 containing a refrigerating coil which is supplied with a liquid refrigerant by a single compressor unit, not shown. A thermostatic switch ll, operated by variations in temperature in the chamber A controls the flow of refrigerant in the coil contained in housing [5,

to maintain the temperature at 0 F.

Actually, air is not exchanged between the chambers A and B, there being no communicating opening in the intervening walls. able in a two-temperature refrigerator inasmuch as the problemof humidity, that is to say, the

v prerequisite for a difference in degree of humidity in the two chambers, is adequately met in a manner to be presently described. The air in chamber A is obviously very dry at extremely low temperatures but in chamber B, which serves as a storage for foodstuffs at higher temperatures, the air must contain sufiicient moisture to avoid desiccation of the foodstuifs.

In one of the interior walls is defining the chamber B there is made an opening is over which is secured a metal plate 53 whose area is determined by the relative size of the chambers A and B. In other words, the larger the chambers, the greater the area of the plate l9, and this is especially true if the size of chamber B is increased.

Suspended by means of a bracket 253 from the top I2 of the cabinet is a motor M on Whose armature shaft is mounted a fan or blower 22, in confronting relationship to the plate H9.

The plate l9 occupies the only uninsulated portion in the. wall l3 and by conduction a certain amount of frigidity is influenced to travel from the low temperature chamber A into the chamber B through the plate. A thermostat 23 in chamber B makes it possible to pull sufiicient frigidity into the latter from the plate l9 whose natural conduction may not be quite ample to maintain the desired temperature, i. e., 35 F.

A certain amount'of moisture condensate will occur on the side of plate is within the chamber B and at periods whose duration is determined by the temperature in chamber B, the thermostat 23 will become effective to close the circuit to the motor 2i to operate the fan 22, thus dissipating moisture collecting on the plate [9 to increase the humidit in chamber B.

At the bottom of the plate is is a trough 24, communicating with which is a tube 25 for draining off surplus moisture accumulating on the plate l9.

This is desir- Manifestly, the construction as shown and described is capable of some modification and such modification as may be construed to fall within the scope and meaning of the appended claims is also considered to be within the spirit and intent of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A two-temperature walk-in type refrigerator including a cabinet insulated against external temperature influences and having an interior wall dividing the same into two separate chambers and insulated to preclude transfer of heat from one chamber to the other, for the maintenance of different temperatures therein, said interior wall having an opening therein, a metal plate closing said opening, means for maintaining sub-freezing temperature in one of said chambers, said plate being effective to establish heat exchange between the latter chamber and the companion chamber to produce therein a temperature above freezing and means operable in response to temperature changes for periodically directing a stream of air against said plate in said companion chamber to dissipate moisture collecting therein to influence humidity conditions in said companion chamber.

2. In a two-temperature walk-in type refrigerator, an insulated cabinet having an interior insulated Wall separating the same into two individual chambers and effective to preclude transfer of heat between the chambers, and to provide for the maintenance of separate temperatures in said chambers said interior wall having an opening therein, a metal plate covering said opening, a refrigerating coil in one of said chambers for maintaining a sub-freezing temperature therein, said metal plate establishing heat exchange between the sub-freezing chamber and the chamber of higher temperature and is of an area in relation to the capacity of said refrigerating coil to secure in said latter chamber a temperature above freezing and means for concentrating a stream of air on said metal plate to dissipate in said chamber of higher temperature the moisture accumulating on the adjacent face of said plate.

3. In a refrigerator, a cabinet divided by an insulated partition to define separate compartments and to prohibit in itself the transfer of heat between said compartments, so that separate temperatures may be maintained in said compartments, a refrigerating means in one of said compartments for maintaining a temperature below freezing, a metal plate covering an opening in said insulated partition having heat exchange characteristics and of a size in relation to the capacity of said refrigerating means and said compartments to influence a higher temperature in the companion compartment and thermostatically controlled means for dissipating within the latter compartment the moisture collecting on said plate.

- JACK J. BOOTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,535,479 Kellogg Apr. 28, 1925 1,955,087 Philipp Apr. 17, 1934 1,980,089 Rice Nov. 6, 1934 2,124,268 Williams July 19, 1938 2,192,562 Scott Mar. 5, 1940 2,405,895 Lodwig Aug. 13, 1946 2,416,354 Shoemaker Feb. 25, 1947 

